Chapter 69 - The High Elf Professift (Part 2)

  Kinue:

  I watched through the window as the swift carriage sped away, and the castle gradually faded from view.

  "Until ime... my first friends..." I murmured, as they disappeared from sight. A small tear rolled down my cheek.

  One day, we’ll meet again... and we’ll py together, just like before.

  I returo my seat, gng at the professor who was holding a sword of light.

  "What are you doing, Lady Adrihna?"

  She kept her focus on the sword.

  "Nathan's sword didn’t break, not even once, and it mao pierce my shield after a few strikes. That thing was truly made of thunder. What he did was craft a sword of wind and trap his element i... something both physical and eic. It’s definitely powerful... but it pletely drained his mana reserves, which are still quite low since he’s only retly awakeo magic," she expined, analyzing her yellow sword of light. I noticed she was trying to replicate what Nathan had done, iing another bde of light into her sword.

  "He’s the only one who make a sword like that... but it was very unstable," she added.

  I remembered what he did and nodded.

  "He’s far beyond what a newly awakened mage should be. I’m a few years ahead of him and I ’t even pare to what he did..."

  The professor looked at me.

  "Don’t pare yourself to Nathan Evenhart. It’s precisely because of his rapid progress that you shouldn’t pare yourself to him. Some people are simply prodigies in magid he’s one of them. What he’s capable of at eight years old, I haven’t seen even High Elves aplish in a hundred years. But that doesn’t mean you won’t bee a powerful mage. You have talent and the advantage of your demi-humaage. You’re just on a different path."

  "I’m not upset that he’s surpassed me... I’m... proud."

  As soon as I said that, the professor looked at me, adjusting her monocle, and smiled.

  "Are you getting fond of Nathan Evenhart?" she asked.

  "WHAT!? No, I’m not!"

  "Hahahaha," the professhed heartily. "I’ve spent the st few months reading nothing but romanovels, and you’re blushing and denying it immediately. Those are the cssic signs of a shy, side character with a secret crush who shows up in the middle of the story, hahaha."

  "Y-you’re wrong! I’m not in love... I just like being friends with him," I said, turning my face away.

  I’m so embarrassed...

  "Not in love? What a pity... I could’ve helped if you were..." she said.

  "C-could you? How?"

  "Of course, but only if you really wa," she teased.

  "And how... how would that work? Just... just out of curiosity."

  Professor Adrihna grinned.

  "In the novels I’ve read, women often wait until they’re more... developed before they capture the heart of the man they like. As you grow older, you’ll beore... developed, at least by human standards."

  "Developed? I don’t get it."

  The professor pced her hands on her chest and wiggled them.

  "Professor... that’s so embarrassing..." I muttered, feeling my face burn as I turned away.

  Calm down... she’s just being herself...

  "Do you... think I’ll bee prettier?"

  "Of course, everyone already calls you cute wherever you go. Focus oing stronger with your element and mastering your beast form. Catch his attention not just with your beauty but also with your talent. Don’t worry, though; you’ll have a ce to be close to him since you'll be growing up together.”

  I made a puzzled face.

  “What do you mean by ‘growing up together,’ professor?”

  The professor looked at me and ughed.

  Adrihna snapped her fingers, and suddenly the horses stopped and began to turn the carriage ba the other dire.

  “I just had an excellent idea to shake up that boy’s life.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  She took out a book from her ste bracelet.

  “I’m going to spice up this plot. From today onwards, you’ll be living with the Evenharts... hahahaha.”

  “WHAT!?”

  She looked at me, ughing.

  “It’s all right. I’d o train you for battle at some point anyway, and seeing how ied you were when you practiced with Martha helped me make this decision. Remember, I only teaagic—I’m not a warrior.”

  I couldn’t believe it. We were heading back towards the castle.

  “Are you abandoning me?” I asked.

  “No. I’ll always e to stay here for a while sihe boy and his mother are also elves. If you want, you refuse my offer and just visit them occasionally with me.” She snapped her fingers, and the carriage stopped.

  The professor looked at me.

  “The choice is yours, Kinue. Do you want to stay here and grow up with them, or live with an old High Elf who spends her days reading?”

  “I… I want both.”

  She shook her head.

  “I have my duties at the academy and within the elven kingdom’s nobility. I only e here every four months or so. The choice is yours. You stay with them for a few months and experience what it’s like to grow up with other children, or e with me and wait until I visit them.”

  It was a very difficult decision for me to make. The professor had been with me for four years and had ged my life. I didn’t want to turn her down.

  She sighed.

  “I’m not abandoning you, and you’re not abandoning me, my princess.”

  Princess?

  “I’m just giving you the ce to live ahe world, as I told you I would. You always leave whenever you want. It’s not forever, just a little break from this old elf. When I visit, you e with me or stay with them. The choice will always be yours. What do you want to do?”

  “And what about our training?”

  “When I visit, I help you, and we’ll have all the time in the world when you live with me at the academy in a few years.”

  Professor Adrihna looked at me, and I lowered my head.

  “I liked living with them. Do you think they’ll accept me? It’s different living here as your assistant than just suddenly moving in with them…”

  She pced her hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

  “They’re good people, even though they’re a peculiar family. Of course, they’ll accept you, and teically, you’re all family… you’ll be living together sooner or ter.”

  “Family?”

  “That High Elf aor of yours is like a grandfather to you, Nathan, and Katherine. So those people are your family.”

  I have a family? I thought I would live my life alone. Does that mean… they were my family all along, and I didn’t know it? Why didn’t the professor tell me earlier?

  “Why are you helping me, Professor?”

  “Because I want you to have a childhood. The time to live with the old High Elves will e eventually. So, what do you say? Do you want to grow up with friends or tinue alone?”

  I lower my head and think about my choice.

  “I… want to live with my friends, but I also want to live with you. I’ll stay with them for a while, and then I stay with you. I want to live with both, and whenever you visit, I swites.”

  She nods in agreement.

  “I told you I’d help you with a romantiterest.”

  I blush.

  “I’m not thinking about that… they’re my friends above all.”

  She ughs.

  “Childhood friends who build a background with the protagonist have a better ce, but the story always shakes up when a new heroine arrives. Yoing to be both—a childhood friend and a new heroine, hahaha.”

  I listen to the professor, but I don’t uand any of it.

  “I think you should stop reading those stories…”

  The carriage starts moving back towards the castle.

  “I’ve grown fond of those romantic stories, and I’m doing this for you… and also because I want to mess with that boy. He’s been giving me a lot of trouble, hehe.”

  Nathan Evenhart:

  I returo my room, and as soon as I closed the door behind me—

  'Squaaak!'—I was tackled to the ground by an irritated Cyl, who immediately started lig my face.

  Looks like they finally let you out of your fi.

  "Stop it, you little pig! You're sl all over me!" I tried to push her off, but it was no use.

  'Squaaak!' She tio slobber all over my face, trapping me in her deadly embrace.

  "Fine, fine! I'll let you crush me today since you haven't seen me much tely."

  The moment I said that, she squeezed me even harder.

  "Easy there, you idiot! That hurts! I'm just a kid!"

  I stayed pio the floor, ed up in her furry embrace for a while, but eventually, I mao escape.

  "Finally free..." I muttered, stretg my limbs.

  "At least the silent treatmeween us is over. I hated being ignored. Not that you didn’t ignore me before… but with those other people around, I was certain you wouldn’t pay me any attention," said Athena, lying beside me on the bed.

  I looked at the crazy goddess beside me.

  "Why are you here?" I asked.

  "Where else would I be?"

  "I don’t know, like… DEAD!" I said to her. "Are you really the goddess Athena? Let’s be ho here. Are you really her?"

  The goddess Athena shrugged.

  "If I told you, it’d ruin the fun."

  "Then I’m fucked..."

  "We’re both fucked, Icarus. Do you think I want to be here?"

  I looked at her.

  "Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’d want to torment me even after death."

  She ughed.

  "You're right, I definitely would do something like that. Hahahahaha!" she burst into ughter.

  I pulled a pillow over my face, trying to hide.

  "Stop being such a baby. I don't have a choice; I'm stuck here with you, so at least talk to me."

  "No..." I muttered from uhe pillow.

  She sighed. "General Icarus... I 't believe you're really ag like a little kid."

  "Fine, I'll give you all the attention in the world and always talk to you."

  "Finally!" she cheered.

  I peeked out from uhe pillow. "Just answer ohing for me. How did Kinue mao see you?"

  The smile instantly vanished from her face.

  "versation’s over, Icarus. I'm out," she said, getting up.

  "Oh, now who's ag like a little kid?" I teased.

  "I'm a sweet and adorable little girl on the inside, remember?" she said with a smile.

  I ignored her and turned over, trying to take a nap.

  "Damned goddess... even ih, you e back to haunt me..."

  'Sm!' The door burst open with a loud bang.

  I shot up, startled. "Chloe?"

  My cousin stood there, grinning.

  "Kinue's going to live with us!"